


How do you solve a Problem like Peterson

by Marmidotte



Series: Princes Everywhere [2]
Category: Grimm (TV), Lewis (TV)
Genre: DCS Innocent is a mother hen, Enemies to Friends, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-02
Updated: 2016-09-02
Packaged: 2018-08-12 12:00:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7933861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marmidotte/pseuds/Marmidotte
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Somewhere after seeing him fight for his Sergeant, Innocent think about how Lewis gets along with almost everyone but DI Peterson. Thinking they are adults, she orders them to sort it out. She should have been more precise... "With words" would have been good.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Beforehand

**Author's Note:**

> A little thing that refused to leave me alone. This happens a few days after the main story in "Reclaiming Rank"

Lewis had been ordered by DCS Innocent to take care of the tensions between him and DI Alan Peterson before it becomes a real problem to the force, and "not in a sexual way, stop making fun of my words, Lewis!". "Ah, yes ma'am, sorry ma'am." Well, all right, he had only been trying to wind up Innocent, as he was firmly not interested in Peterson that way, but the look on her face had been worth it.

Walking out of her office a frown on his face, he receives curious looks from the persons he passes on his way to Laura's realm. He wants to ask her advice on the best course of action, and has a PM report to collect. And perhaps a kiss... He is deeply entrenched in his thought when the precise person he did not want to see addresses him. "So, I take one week of paid leave and you fuck up all the hierarchy of the place?"

A smirking Peterson is standing in his way, head slightly tilted. Lewis scowls. Peterson probably only knows part of the story, and he is itching for a fight. He makes a decision on a split second. "Well, yes, it's not like you could do so!" Peterson's smirk turns sour, and he growls "if you were not protected, I'd..." Lewis is having none of it. "Protected? Ha." He scoffs. "And what would you do, Hm, go away calling for your momma?" Both men are inches apart, fists clenched.

A policeman in uniform tries to pass them but veers backwards at the tension between them. Lewis growls "the reunion room downstairs. Now." and goes off without checking if Peterson is following him. But Peterson does, closing the door at the top of the stairs and locking it. The reunion room is not used often nowadays, it is a big room with wooden walls and a bizarre green carpet on the ground. Light is provided by lamps in the ceiling rather than hanging from it.

Lewis cannot resist taunting him once more. "So, what are ye waiting for, an invitation?" Peterson shouts something and tries to clock him on the side of the head. Lewis moves on the side, punching him in the belly. They trade blows back and forth for a while. Neither of them is holding back and the fight would have put ordinary humans in E&R. But neither is quite human. Lewis is a Regnant, and something had made him train in hand to hand and weapons again a few months ago. And suddenly, Peterson woges.

Peterson is a Löwen. Somewhere, in Lewis' brain, a connection is made, and 'Peterson is a Löwen' explains so much of their problems that he does not block a fist right at his left eye. It hurts, but he shakes his head and counter with a hit of his own on Peterson's face. Peterson seems more wary, now. Does he suspect something? He was only making fun of the fact that Lewis has managed to have a DI expelled, because no one present that day would have dared to talk about what exactly happened, but Peterson is a copper, and relation problems with other DIs apart, a good one.

Both of them manage to land a good number of blows, and yet Lewis feels exhilarated rather than hurt. His opponent is slowly realising that things look down for him, and that he will not be able to match Lewis for much longer. Peterson goes for his shoulder, claws extended, and Lewis takes a risk, letting his opponent land his hit in exchange for an opening. It hurts like hell, there is blood, but Lewis focuses and hits Peterson in the sternum. Peterson flies back, meets the wall with a thunk, and does not stand up again.


	2. Midterm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where there are explanations and talk. Yes, Lewis and Peterson are capable of that much!

Lewis has not woged, but he is breathing hard, and has had to draw on his wesen side to be able to stay upright. He seems to realise that he might have handled the whole situation better. He quickly checks Peterson who has no apparent wound save for the lump on his head, the black eye and the various scratches. He quickly goes to the corner of the room where he wets a hand towel with cold water, and dabs at Peterson's face, before setting it like a compress on the top of his head.

It takes a few minutes, but Peterson wakes up, and exclaims "Well, fuck. Does that mean that you want *grunt* me out of here?" Lewis has to grin, because just now, there are not so many differences between them. "Ah, I'll let you pass with a formal apology, me." Peterson half shouts "What?" and Lewis sits next to him against the wall shaking with laughter. Peterson seems to catch up, Lewis is only having fun. "What are you, then, if you can take that much and not go down? And why did you not tell me before to take my stories and shove them?"

Lewis hooks his arms around his knees, and tries to find where to begin. "Me, I'm a regnant." Peterson hisses in surprise. "Yeah, I know, you'd expect all of us royals to be stuck up toffs, aye? But, well, I spent more of my life as an ordinary kid than as a noble, so..." Peterson seems to think about it. "Damn, I owe you one or several apologies." Lewis takes thing in good humour. "Yeah, begin with a pint, and we'll see. Four days ago, the new DI who was supposed to get situated with Hathaway's help began bullying him. You've worked with him, you can imagine what happened..."

Peterson shakes his head. "He'd have bottled all that inside, and not told a word to anyone?" Lewis seems amused at how well Peterson has caught Hathaway's character. "Yep. Which he did. But he has friends, and even if many people see him as a stuck up scholar, he always has a nice word for those under him, hell, he even took an hour at the reception desk to allow PC Pelley to go to bring one of her kids from school to home." Peterson follows with the logical conclusion "Which means as soon as any of them got aware of what had happened, they went to you, and also brought him a coffee or biscuits?"

Lewis nods. "Exactly. Innocent did not take it well, but her hands were tied on that matter, since we needed a DI and were likely to get no other, if she had made noise, the hierarchy would have set us at the very end of the waiting list. So I..." suddenly the words are missing. He takes a breath, another one, and goes on. "I decided that Hathaway was worth giving up my anonymity. I challenged DI Asshat to a fight by the goltgieving ritual, and erm... well, he apologised and was sent away. But now we're missing a DI, Hathaway is certain he is not worth the effort, and I will have to attend social gatherings with her Majesty, or the lads..." 

"DI Asshat." Peterson snorts, and they both give in to a fit of giggles. "Damn. Sorry, I should have been there, we could have done this in an other way." Lewis does not seem angry. "Nah, spilt milk and all that... but that's the reason Innocent wants us to be able to work together, she really is worried at not having enough DIs." Peterson sobers up and loses his smile "Yes, I can see that. But that's not the reason I am most sorry. I.. was jealous. I thought you had benefited from special favours, like in choosing your sergeant, or in which cases you were assigned. I can see now it is the opposite."

Lewis is surprised. "Oh. Oh. Well, what do you know. Apparently our problem was not incompatible personalities, but misunderstandings." He suddenly has an idea, and looks earnestly at Peterson. "Wait. You were jealous I got Hathaway? But..." Peterson snorts again. "Hell yes. He is clever, educated, has done well, could have gone to the service even..." Lewis has to add "Nah, he told them MI5 idiots no..." which makes Peterson shout "WHAT? Bloody hell. Never mind, we're that much more lucky. Anyhow, yes, Julie is good, but to begin with, I wanted to have him as sergeant."

Lewis carries on. "Would you exchange them?" Peterson looks at him like he has grown a second head before getting a speculative look on his face. "Yes, providing both agree, I would, but why?" Lewis hesitates first, but decides against hiding things. "Because I love him, and also because he is my sworn knight. That makes a lot of possible conflict of interest. But I don't want to give him to just any DI, so..." Peterson seems both surprised at how honest Lewis is and unsurprised at the state of things. "That would be a problem, yes. Do you think he would take his OSPRE, if pushed?"

"Probably yes, especially if I'm not the one to push. And that would solve our problem neatly." Lewis grunts and tries to find a better posture. Peterson looks at him and manages to stand. "Ouch. Next time I'm trying discussion first. Though I'll probably benefit from some training with you. All right, come on, I'm buying you a pint or three, and you can tell me why you were jealous of me." Walking a bit cautiously, they go back upstairs, and leave the station on foot to go to the nearest pub.


	3. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so the calm is restored once again. Except for poor DCS Innocent...

Hathaway enters the pub, nods his thanks to the landlord, and goes straight to the copper duet's table. Peterson brightens: "ooh, look, hish your batman. No, not it. Bagman!!" Lewis seems equally drunk as his colleague. "Ish me best friend and sergeant. And you're not shtealing... Stealing him! Tell him, lad, I forbid him stealing you!" James is beginning to understand what the landlord had meant in his short phone call to the station. He pinches the bridge of his nose and steels himself.

"DCS Innocent insisted I came here to pick both of you and drive you back to her office... UP!" Both DI react as one, standing up and almost saluting, but the effect is broken as Lewis has to hold the table to keep standing, and Peterson is clutching at his pint tightly. Hathaway has a good look at them and blinks when he realises both are sporting black eyes and other contusions. Peterson's knuckle are raw, and Lewis shirt is slightly torn. He opens his mouth and closes it several times, completely at loss about what to say.

"Oooh, your bagman ish part fish! Ish an angelfish!!" Peterson seemes extremely proud of his pun, Lewis is frowning, and then smiling: "noooo, ish Cupid! Bringing love to ol' me!" He fixes Hathaway with a Look: "Innoshent said... Innocent shaid... Oh, no. Said we hafta fix our rela... Real... Relashionsip. Or that. Or ... What. I don't remember. Do you remember?" He turns to the other DI. Peterson is equally incapable of concentrating, but he manages to add "we was misunderstood. And chelous. Jealous. Or that. And we was now ok."

Hathaway has had enough. He marches the both of them at quick speed back to the station, directly into Innocent's office. "ma'am? I have found our wayward officers, but may I ask, what exactly did you tell them?" She raises her eyes from the document she was reading, takes in the state of her two DIs, and with wide eyes, says "I told them to get their act straight and stop being at each other's throat. What the hell happened, Hathaway?" James is smiling "I may be wrong, but I think they have. Just ... Not as you or I would have done by discussing, instead they hit each other and got smashed together..."

Innocent looks at them again, closed he eyes, and shakes her head. "Get Julie to bring her governor home, do the same with yours, the four of you are dismissed till tomorrow morning. As Hathaway exited her office, followed by the two DIs, she sighs, and comments "Why me? Why do I have to supervise the two four years old DIs?" A voice that can only be Lewis' answers "Aw, but ma'am, you're the team's mum!" before being muffled. Innocent lets her head down to her desk, and sighs again.


End file.
